Abstract:
We present the design and implementation of the
Illuminator, a sensor network-based intelligent
light control system for entertainment and media
production. Unlike most sensor network applications,
which focus on sensing alone, a distinctive aspect of
Illuminator is that it closes the loop from light sensing to
lighting control. We describe the Illuminator's design
requirements, system architecture, algorithms,
implementation and experimental results. To provide a light sensing module
that meets the high-performance light sensing requirements of
entertainment and media production applications, we developed
the Illumimote, which is a multi-modal and
high fidelity light sensor module well-suited to wireless
sensor networks. The Illuminator system is a toolset to
characterize the illumination profile of a deployed set of
fixed position lights, generate desired lighting effects for
moving targets (actors, scenic elements, etc.) based on user
constraints expressed in a formal language, and assist in
the set up of lights to achieve the same illumination profile
in multiple venues. After characterizing deployed lights,
the Illuminator computes at run-time optimal light settings
to achieve a user-specified actuation profile using an
optimization framework based on a genetic algorithm
Uniquely, it can use deployed sensors to incorporate
changing ambient lighting conditions and moving targets
into actuation. With experimental results, we demonstrate
that the Illuminator handles various high-level user's
constraints and generates optimal light actuation profile.
These results suggest that our system should support
entertainment and media production applications.